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Hawkeye Annual #1

by kanchilr1 on July 24, 2013

The TeamWriterMatt FractionArtistJavier Pulido

When taking the first look at Hawkeye Annual #1 the reader has to notice the genius trade dress covering the issue. It features some great design that makes use of the red Marvel Now splash mandatory for all of the different titles in the series. The dress covering the title should get readers really interested at the contents of this already amazing title. The question is what kind of story can Fraction and company tell about the series, when every issue acts as a strange almost one off story involving the main cast? Hopefully these characters can cut away and deal with some of the main drama regarding the title, it would also be nice to see some mention of this in the main story going forward in the title. This grounded approach to Hawkeye is beloved by many at this point, and tampering with the formula too much would come at the detriment to the book.

This issue in particular is just oozing with an incredible level of style cultivated by the amazing creative team here from Pulido to Hollingsworth, where once again everyone really brings out their best work to the table. Kate Bishop is a character that is handled with some great finesse in this story. Fraction really paints her character in an interesting way, as she is sort of an underdog. Being separate from Barton could really be the best thing for Bishop as she can start to learn some important things here. We have never seen the interior of her home life, and it says a ton about this character. It is truly remarkable that she grew up to be a good person, despite her parents. She has never been a simple human being but the layers keep unwinding and just continue to maker her more remarkable as a person. When she is finished honing her skills Kate could very well be unstoppable, or at the least she could be a better version of Clint.

Javier Pulido is a polarizing artist, the first time I looked at his artwork in Amazing Spider-Man I could not stand him. Then on Daredevil his style began to start making sense to me. Shades of David Aja and Marcos Martin shine through him, and the artist adds a lot to the series. More importantly he has that incredible sense of design work that has made this comic what it is. The thought balloons featuring Kate actually add to this comic book. Scenes that are covered in a giant load of text seem to be the most interesting in many cases, because of the small drawings of our heroine reacting to the scenario. Another moment involving a giant tower hovering over the page show off the unique skill set of Pulido. This issue may look different from the rest of the series, but that is not a bad thing. Also nobody can deny the fact that Pulido has some awesome storytelling chops.

This is another issue of Hawkeye where everything just seems to perfectly snap into place. Comic Books just do not get much better than this, an experimental process between words and pictures set this apart from anything else on the stand. At this point the series is consistently great that it is in direct competition with itself. This may not be best installment of the comic but it is among the greats.